"Down here," Jasin said, as he turned down a street with a row of houses.
We stopped at the fourth house, which was done in the same sharp style as the others with a pointed roof and red trim. A pink flowering tree stood in front of it, the one cheerful thing in this entire miserable day. Was this Jasin’s home? Was I about to meet his parents? Another thing to add to my list of worries.
Jasin paused at the front door as if hesitant, but then knocked on it. A beautiful woman in her forties with long, wavy auburn hair and Jasin's cheekbones opened the door and gasped. "Jasin! What are you doing here?"
"Can we come in?" he asked.
Her dark eyes swept over the rest of us and she opened the door wider. "Of course. Come inside and get dry."
We stepped into the house, which was warm and smelled faintly of a cozy fire. The furniture was dark and utilitarian with few trinkets, except for a sword hanging on one wall and a painting on the other. A chill ran through me when I got a closer look at the painting, which was beautiful even though it depicted the Black Dragon and her four mates sitting on top of a mountain, looking regal as they gazed out at the clouds with sunset hues behind them. It was both stunning to look at and terrifying to see it there.
"This is such a surprise," Jasin's mother said. "We thought you were stationed farther south."
"Jasin? I thought I heard your voice." A man with dark hair streaked with a touch of gray walked into the room. He paused when he saw the rest of us, no doubt an unexpected sight. Four strangers, completely soaked, and two of them injured. I didn’t blame him for hesitating.
"Everyone, this is my mother, Ilya, and my father, Ozan. Mom, dad, these are...some friends of mine." Jasin glanced at the rest of us, before turning back to his parents with a grim face. "We're in a bit of trouble and need somewhere to lay low for the evening. Is it okay if we stay here?"
"What kind of trouble?' Ozan asked, his eyes narrowing.
Ilya waved him away. "Of course you can stay. Are you all in the Onyx Army with Jasin?"
"Not exactly," Slade said.
“I'll explain everything, but right now these two are injured and we need to treat their wounds,” Jasin said.
"They can use Berin's bedroom," Ilya said.
She led us down a hallway with dark stone floors and opened the first door. We stepped inside a sparse room with a bed big enough for two people and little else. It looked like it hadn't been used in some time, but Ilya pulled out some blankets and pillows and got the bed ready for us.
"Thanks, Mom," Jasin said. "Let's leave them to it and I'll tell you what I've been up to."
With a nod to me and Slade, Jasin escorted his mother out of the room and shut the door behind them. Slade helped me ease Reven and Auric onto the bed, while they both groaned at the movement. It wasn't easy because they were both large, strong men, and their weapons and boots only made it harder.
Auric still had an arrow sticking out of his back, so he had to lie on his stomach. "Heal Reven first," he said, but his voice was weak.
“I’m fine,” Reven said, his teeth gritted.
"Hold Auric down," I told Slade. "I'll get the arrow out."
Slade nodded and braced his weight on Auric’s shoulders, keeping him in place. I wasn't sure what I was doing, although I'd removed arrows from lots of animals while hunting before, and this couldn't be all that different. I hoped.
I inhaled sharply, then pulled the arrow out with a quick, straight tug. Auric jerked and moaned and blood gushed from the wound. I rested my hand over it quickly to stop the bleeding, but his shirt was in the way. Although the bleeding slowed, I could sense that I needed more skin to skin contact if I was going to heal him fully.
"We need to get this off him," I told Slade, as I tugged at Auric’s shirt.
Beside us, Reven had his eyes closed and I hoped he was okay, but I had to help Auric first. With much groaning from Auric, Slade helped me remove his cloak and shirt, along with his weapons, boots, and everything else except his trousers. But Reven was looking really pale too, and I worried he'd lost too much blood already.
"Reven too," I said, and Slade nodded.
We removed most of Reven’s clothes as well, and had to slash open his trousers due to the gash on his thigh. I tried not to get distracted by all the muscular, naked flesh in front of me, and instead focused on what I could do to make them both better.
"Get in the bed with them," Slade suggested. "Your touch is what heals them."
Of course. I removed most of my own gear until I was in only my thin chemise, which was better since my clothes were soaked through with blood and water anyway. At first, I felt a touch of shyness at wearing so little around them, although they'd already seen me in my chemise over the last few nights. But then I pushed that feeling aside. These were my mates and they were all going to be seeing a lot of me soon, but more importantly, I didn't care how little I wore because all that mattered was healing Reven and Auric.
I crawled onto the bed between Reven and Auric, while Slade watched. His green eyes seemed to turn almost black as I slid between their bodies, and then he quickly looked away.
"I'll see about getting our horses," he said, his voice husky. He left the room before I could answer.
Was he jealous? Or aroused? I wasn't sure, but I couldn't think about that right now. Both Reven and Auric lay quietly with closed eyes and I couldn't tell if they were awake or not.
I took both of their hands first, working my fingers over their skin. Reven's hand was calloused, Auric's was smooth, and both of them dwarfed mine. I wasn't sure how to make my healing work, so I simply thought about how I wanted them to be healthy again. My feelings burned bright in my chest, surprising me with their intensity. I'd only known the men for a few days, but I already cared for them a great deal.
I wasn't sure if the healing was working and decided I needed to do more. I turned toward Reven, whose face was paler than normal. It was a miracle he'd been able to make it this far, although maybe my healing in the tunnels helped. I examined the wound and hesitated, then placed my hands on his thigh. The remains of his shredded black trousers hid the large bulge between his legs, but only barely. I tried not to stare at it, but my eyes kept finding their way back to that spot.
I pushed everything I felt into my touch as I ran my hands along his naked skin, feeling the hard muscles underneath my fingertips. After a few moments I began to see the wound close up. It was working!
He groaned and turned his head toward me, his eyes focusing on mine. He didn't say a word as I continued stroking his thigh, nor did he stop me when my other hand rested on his neck and moved up into his silky black hair.
"What are you doing to me?" he finally asked.
"Healing you.” I trailed my fingers down his cheek and lightly touched his lips. Gods, he was beautiful. I so rarely got to be this close to him, or to stare into his eyes without him turning away. But for once he didn’t move.
"Is that all?" he asked.
My breath caught. If I brought my lips to his and kissed him, would he stop me? Or would he kiss me back? If I shifted my hand slightly to brush against that bulge, would he pull away, or touch me in return?
Before I could gather my courage enough to try, he caught my hand in his and his eyes narrowed. “You protected me today and nearly got killed in the process. Don’t ever do that again.”
I yanked my hand away. “I couldn’t let you die.”
“I would have been fine. Just as I’m fine now.” He rolled onto his side, facing away from me. “Don’t trouble yourself further.”
I stared at his back, wondering what that was about and trying not to feel rejected. But I didn’t have the energy to worry about his behavior, not when Auric needed me too.
I turned to Auric next. His breathing was shallow and the arrow wound on his back—his very well-defined back—was deep. I rested my hands on his shoulder, sighing as our skin touched. As warmth spread from my fingertips, I slowly rubbed his shoulder and ra
n my hands down his back, spreading my healing to his entire body. Or that's what I told myself anyway. Maybe I just wanted to touch him some more.
His eyes fluttered open and he turned his head to smile at me. "Mm, that’s nice."
I removed my hand and looked down at his shoulder, which was now healed up as if it had never been injured at all. "How are you feeling?"
"Like a horse ran over me," he said, with a low chuckle.
"That sounds about right," Reven grumbled.
I settled myself between the two of them, their bodies pressed close against mine. "You both need rest and more healing, so we're going to lie here for a while, since skin to skin contact seems to be what works best."
"I'm not complaining," Auric said, as he rolled on his side and curled up against me. He kissed me, while one of my hands found his naked chest again, savoring the feel of his coiled muscle underneath his smooth skin.
Reven didn't say a word, but he turned onto his other side and stared at me with his dark, dangerous blue eyes. I was so tempted to kiss him, but I wasn't sure he wanted that from me. Instead I rested my hand on his strong chest too, and he reluctantly draped one arm around my waist.
With both men wrapped around me, I closed my eyes and felt a strange sort of contentment settle over me. The overwhelming desire for both of them was there too, but this was more than lust. This felt right, as if they both belonged by my side. The only way it could be better would be if Jasin and Slade were here too.
32
Kira
After both Auric and Reven fell into a deep sleep, I slipped out of bed, donned my clothes again, and quietly left the bedroom. Voices drifted toward me from the front room, along with the smell of something delicious. I looked forward to getting to know Jasin’s family, even if I wished it had been under better circumstances. Plus, I was curious about where he had grown up and excited about getting a glimpse into his past.
I stepped into the main room and the conversation died off as everyone turned to look at me. Jasin sat at a dining table made of shiny black stone with his parents across from him, though he jumped to his feet when he saw me. Slade was nowhere in sight, so he must still be getting the horses. I hoped he was safe.
Jasin moved to my side and took my hand to lead me to the table. “Mom, Dad, this is Kira. My…betrothed.” He glanced at me with his eyebrows raised, as if asking if that was all right.
I smiled at him and inclined my head. Betrothed was probably the closest thing to the truth, since we couldn’t exactly tell them what was really happening between us. “It’s very nice to meet you both.”
“Please join us,” Ilya said. “We’re about to have dinner and we’re so happy you could be here with us.”
“Thank you,” I said.
Jasin pulled out a chair for me and I sat down, unable to keep a small smile off my face. These past few weeks had been difficult and at times unbelievable, and hours ago we’d been running for our lives, but this moment felt refreshingly normal. It was nice to pretend the only worry on my mind was getting his parents to like me. If I closed my eyes I could even imagine this was real, and that Jasin was my betrothed and soon we’d be married and settle down somewhere. Except that wasn’t right, because I was missing the other men who shared my heart—but still, it was a nice fantasy to escape into for the time being.
Ilya began serving pasta with tomato sauce and tiny slivers of beef, a specialty of the Fire Realm that I hadn’t eaten in years. A loaf of bread coated in garlic and butter was also passed around, and I felt bad that the others weren’t there to share this feast with us. Hopefully there would be enough leftovers for the three of them.
I took a bite and it was the best thing I’d tasted in weeks. “This is delicious. I can see where Jasin gets his cooking skills from.”
“Thank you,” Ilya said. “Although I’m not sure I can take much credit for those.”
“True, he’s never made me anything this good,” I said with a playful smile.
Jasin huffed. “Only because we’ve been traveling. A meal like this needs a proper kitchen and fresh ingredients and—”
I rested my hand over his. “I know, I was only teasing.”
“Were you in the Onyx Army also?” Ozan asked in a blunt tone. Unlike Ilya, he didn’t smile at us, but stared at me with dark, unwavering eyes.
“No, I wasn’t,” I said, glancing over at Jasin with uncertainty.
“Where did you two meet?” Ilya asked.
“I met her in a small village in the Earth Realm,” Jasin said. “I showed up in her town and there was just this immediate connection between us.”
He met my eyes with a grin and I smiled back at him as that connection he spoke of flared bright. It was true, even when I’d been scared of him or uncertain of our destiny, I’d always been drawn to him.
Ilya gave Ozan a knowing smile, but he continued to watch us with a surly expression. “Ozan and I were both in the army, stationed in Emberton,” she said. “That’s how we met. Of course, I retired from service when I had my boys, and Ozan took a permanent post in this city to stay close to us.”
“Our entire family has always served in the Onyx Army,” Ozan said. “My father. His father.” He looked pointedly at Jasin. “And my sons.”
“I served for many years,” Jasin muttered. “I did my duty.”
“I can’t believe you left,” Ozan, his tone almost angry. “What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that it was time for me to make a change,” Jasin said. “The army wasn’t for me, in the end.”
“Not for you?” Ozan nearly yelled. “How can you say that after what happened to your brother?”
“Ozan…” Ilya said, resting a hand on his arm.
He shook it off and glared at Jasin. “And what about this trouble you’re in now?”
“I already told you, I can’t talk about that,” Jasin said. He was normally so bold, but when facing his father, he’d shrunk back.
“Of course you can’t. Don’t tell me the army is after you?”
Jasin stared at his plate with his lips pressed into a thin line. When he didn’t answer, that only made Ozan’s face even angrier.
Ilya reached toward him again. “Ozan, please. Let’s just enjoy our meal.”
“No, I can’t sit here and listen to this.” Ozan shot to his feet. “One son dead and the other a deserter.” He gave Jasin one last harsh look. “You bring shame to our family.”
Without another word, he left the room.
Stunned silence descended over the table, until Ilya said, “I’m sorry about that. He simply needs some time to calm down.”
“It’s our fault for showing up here unexpectedly,” I said, glancing at Jasin, who stared down at his food with a pained expression. “We’ll be gone first thing in the morning.”
She waved a hand. “It’s no trouble, really.”
The front door open and I tensed, until I saw Slade’s large figure filling up the doorway. He shut the door behind him and was drenched from the rain still pouring outside. “I moved the horses nearby and got our things.”
“Thank you.” I wanted to rush to him and give him a hug, so relieved to see him back safely, but I couldn’t do that in front of Ilya without raising even more questions.
Slade joined us for the rest of the meal, although we spoke little after that. Jasin’s normal vibrant self had dimmed thanks to his father’s words, and I longed to get him alone so I could try to cheer him up.
When our meal was finished, I helped Ilya clean up in the kitchen, while Jasin and Slade spoke together in low voices about where he’d put the horses and the plan for tomorrow.
“I’m sorry again about my husband,” Ilya said, as she set the plates aside. “Sometimes his temper gets the better of him. I wish our first dinner with you had gone better.”
I nodded. “Can I ask what happened to your other son?”
“He was killed while fighting the Resistance outside Flamedale. It was supposed to
be an easy raid, but it was a trap. His entire squad was slaughtered by those traitors.” Her voice turned venomous, until she glanced over at her painting of the Dragons. “Thank the Gods that Sark came and took vengeance for us with his fire.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said, though my throat was tight. Jasin’s family was completely loyal to the Black Dragon and supported her rule. No wonder Jasin had joined the Onyx Army when he was younger. How could he not, in this household? But if they found out what we truly were, I wasn’t sure how they would react.
33
Kira
While Slade slept in the front of the house, I checked on Reven and Auric, who were still passed out but seemed stable. Once I was sure they were fine, I joined Jasin in his old bedroom.
Like Berin’s, this room was sparse, although it had more paintings done in the style of the one in the front room, plus a blank canvas in the corner. The first painting was of a man who looked a lot like Jasin swinging a sword while wearing the black scaled armor of the Onyx Army. The other painting was of the Crimson Dragon in flight, his wings spread while he blasted fire down at something below him.
“Did you do these?” I asked.
“I did, yeah,” Jasin said, with some hesitation in his voice. Like he was worried what I would think about them.
“They’re beautiful.” I studied them closer, noticing the skill of the design and the blend of colors. I didn’t know much about art, but I could tell Jasin was good, even if the subject matter was rather disturbing for me. “You’re very talented.”
He sat on the edge of the bed and began removing his boots. “Thanks. I once wanted to be an artist, but of course my parents didn’t think that was a suitable career. My future was in the army and nothing else or they’d disown me.”
“I got that feeling. It’s a shame, because these are gorgeous.” I tore my gaze from the dragon painting and examined the other one. “Is this your brother?”
Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series Page 14
